Suggestions for an afternoon in San Jose
Jun 12th, 2009, 01:50 PM
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Suggestions for an afternoon in San Jose
Hi guys,
I'm looking for some suggestions of things to do in downtown San Jose. Our flight arrives at SJO at 11:30 a.m. and we're staying right in San Jose that night because we've got an early morning pickup the next day for the Rio Pacuare. So we'll have that whole first afternoon and evening in the city. I've never actually been in San Jose proper before. I know there are a few museums and some shopping. Does anyone have specific suggestions? We're staying at Hotel Fleur de Lys, btw...
The other thing that had entered my mind was some sort of canopy (zip line) tour for that afternoon. My traveling companion really wants to do one, and we don't have time to fit it in elsewhere unless we just do the one at Bosque del Cabo (which I know will hardly compare with the SkyTreks of the world!). Is there anything close to San Jose that could work for that first afternoon? We'd of course want something with a good reputation for safety and fun.
Thanks!
I'm looking for some suggestions of things to do in downtown San Jose. Our flight arrives at SJO at 11:30 a.m. and we're staying right in San Jose that night because we've got an early morning pickup the next day for the Rio Pacuare. So we'll have that whole first afternoon and evening in the city. I've never actually been in San Jose proper before. I know there are a few museums and some shopping. Does anyone have specific suggestions? We're staying at Hotel Fleur de Lys, btw...
The other thing that had entered my mind was some sort of canopy (zip line) tour for that afternoon. My traveling companion really wants to do one, and we don't have time to fit it in elsewhere unless we just do the one at Bosque del Cabo (which I know will hardly compare with the SkyTreks of the world!). Is there anything close to San Jose that could work for that first afternoon? We'd of course want something with a good reputation for safety and fun.
Thanks!
Jun 12th, 2009, 01:55 PM
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The museums I always hear about are the gold museum and the jade museum, and seeing the national theater is popular too. We went to the Doka Coffee Estate and had a great tour there - not adventurous, but very fun. Zoo Ave is one that I've seen mentioned as well. I don't know of any zips nearby.
Jun 12th, 2009, 02:58 PM
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cmerrell: try rainforesttrams.com
It's not a zipline but rather a tram ride through the canopy. Since most of the ziplines (except for those offered by a lodge on or adjacent to its property) all depart early in the morning, a tram might be the next best thing.
Speaking of rafting, are you by chance rafting Pacuare with Aventuras Naturales? Because if you are, and are staying overnight at the lodge, they offer a zipline/rapelling tour in the afternoon for about $45.
There's also the Simon Bolivar Zoo which is a block and a half away from the Hotel Don Carlos.
It's not a zipline but rather a tram ride through the canopy. Since most of the ziplines (except for those offered by a lodge on or adjacent to its property) all depart early in the morning, a tram might be the next best thing.
Speaking of rafting, are you by chance rafting Pacuare with Aventuras Naturales? Because if you are, and are staying overnight at the lodge, they offer a zipline/rapelling tour in the afternoon for about $45.
There's also the Simon Bolivar Zoo which is a block and a half away from the Hotel Don Carlos.
Jun 12th, 2009, 05:03 PM
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Hi, E - I couldn't get your link to work. Is that the right one? It sounds fun!
c, not sure if you would want to do this, but the Waterfall Gardens are only an hour away if you think your friend would like to see the falls.
c, not sure if you would want to do this, but the Waterfall Gardens are only an hour away if you think your friend would like to see the falls.
Jun 12th, 2009, 06:12 PM
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Thanks guys!
La Paz is tempting, VG. I can't believe my friend wouldn't love it. It's such a spectacular property. I'll have to give that some thought to see if it makes sense logistically and budget-wise. Doka is certainly a viable contender if we want to stick closer to town. I enjoyed that tour as well and wouldn't mind doing it again.
Thanks for your suggestions too, Eressea. I'll check into the tram as an option. Unfortunately, we're not doing the Pacuare with Aventuras because that would have been a great way to kill two birds with one stone. Have you actally been to Simon Bolivar Zoo? Just wondering what your impression of it was, if you've visted. I always enjoy a decent zoo. I had also considered Zoo Ave as an option.
La Paz is tempting, VG. I can't believe my friend wouldn't love it. It's such a spectacular property. I'll have to give that some thought to see if it makes sense logistically and budget-wise. Doka is certainly a viable contender if we want to stick closer to town. I enjoyed that tour as well and wouldn't mind doing it again.
Thanks for your suggestions too, Eressea. I'll check into the tram as an option. Unfortunately, we're not doing the Pacuare with Aventuras because that would have been a great way to kill two birds with one stone. Have you actally been to Simon Bolivar Zoo? Just wondering what your impression of it was, if you've visted. I always enjoy a decent zoo. I had also considered Zoo Ave as an option.
Jun 13th, 2009, 02:45 AM
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The pre-Columbian gold museum is excellent and always has a special exhibit going as well. By the way, I looked up what "pre-Columbian" means after visiting and basically it's anything having to do with an indigenous group BEFORE it was tainted by European influence...some early on after 1492, other groups decades/centuries later...so it can be a wide expanse of time.
It is fun just to walk along the Avenue Central (pedestrian) where you find the gold museum. The Central Market is interesting but keep in mind that some surrounding areas are "sketchy" so pay attention to your instincts. We loved Zoo Ave but it is in Alajuela, some distance from downtown San Jose. Are you going soon? This is their "green season" and afternoon showers are likely; you could even get an afternoon "washout"....making the gold museum all the more attractive. I haven't been to the National Theatre yet but do hear very good things about it.
It is fun just to walk along the Avenue Central (pedestrian) where you find the gold museum. The Central Market is interesting but keep in mind that some surrounding areas are "sketchy" so pay attention to your instincts. We loved Zoo Ave but it is in Alajuela, some distance from downtown San Jose. Are you going soon? This is their "green season" and afternoon showers are likely; you could even get an afternoon "washout"....making the gold museum all the more attractive. I haven't been to the National Theatre yet but do hear very good things about it.
Jun 13th, 2009, 05:52 AM
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Colinas del Poas is the closest zipline that I know of. Not sure but I think it took us about 30 min from Orquideas to get there.
Or if shopping check out Galeria Namu http://www.galerianamu.com/ Heard some great things about it and plan to go there on my last day in SJO.
Or if shopping check out Galeria Namu http://www.galerianamu.com/ Heard some great things about it and plan to go there on my last day in SJO.
Jun 13th, 2009, 08:17 AM
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I was curious if anyone has gone to the Simon Bolivar zoo also - I love zoos, but I've heard they have big cats pacing in small cages. That would really just make me sad. Does anyone have any experience there?
Jun 14th, 2009, 07:15 AM
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Thanks again, everyone. You've given me some good suggestions to consider.
Good point about afternoon rains, peg and Marina. We're going this month so that may be a factor for us, and zip lining in the rain wouldn't be my top choice.
We'll probably stay in the city to stroll and shop (Galeria Namu looks interesting, tully). Doka may still be a viable contender as well depending on what the weather looks like.
Does anyone have any specific restaurant recs?
Good point about afternoon rains, peg and Marina. We're going this month so that may be a factor for us, and zip lining in the rain wouldn't be my top choice.
We'll probably stay in the city to stroll and shop (Galeria Namu looks interesting, tully). Doka may still be a viable contender as well depending on what the weather looks like.
Does anyone have any specific restaurant recs?
Jun 14th, 2009, 09:22 AM
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We stayed at Grano de Oro, and they had a good restaurant on site - it's a little pricey, but the food was good, and we loved the atmosphere. www.granodeoro.com is their website.
Jun 15th, 2009, 09:38 AM
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Hi vgirl & cmerrell - first off: the correct link is http://www.rainforestrams.com/ So sorry! Don't forget to ask about packages (tram, exhibit and another activity for certain $ or just the tram and exhibit for less $, etc.) and discounts as they have a few. When I inquired last, there was an amphibian exhibit offered as an optional activity.)
As for the Simon Bolivar Zoo, I spent a few hours there one day and would go again. Having said that, there are definitely some pros and a con.
The Con: Vgirl, you heard right. When I was there in October 2008, there were two adult lions (a male and a female, Kivu and Kariya) in what I believed to be a very small cage even for one cat. And the male paced on a little ledge at the back of the cage for a while before lying down (with his back to me, of course) for a rest.
There were also ocelots and a margay in equally small cages and the male ocelot paced, while the margay in the adjacent cage slept. There was a creature called a "tayra" which looked like a giant, giant (second "giant" intentional) river otter slash wolverine that paced his cage and then would get up on his hind legs and look up over his fence past me at some unknown point behind me and he did this the entire time I stood watching him.
There were at least two jaguarundis in a cage next to the jaguar but they were far too skittish and remained in the shed at the back of their enclosure. The jaguar had the largest cage of all the cats but again he, too, paced in circles from the back of his cage to the front and then across in a diagonal line and back again. He broke his gait once when he reacted - negatively - to a small boy who had moved the bushes in front of the cage just as he was walking past.
The pros:
I had read somewhere that there were many improvements slated for the zoo and I saw signs of these plans (a section or two were closed for renovations) when I visited. The zoo sits on 14 acres but it felt much smaller than that although I don't doubt some of that space is for the administrative offices and other such facilities in the back; perhaps after renovations cages will be bigger and the park will feel more spread out.
I got there just as the zoo was opening and with the exception of probably no more than a dozen other people (all locals), had the place to myself. It was also a weekday. I got there early enough to see some of the creatures just "waking up" and stayed late enough to see some of them get fed.
It only cost me about $2 to get in.
The zoo was laid out in a rough horseshoe shaped pattern with enclosures radiating from the main path. There was no sign of a map although you won't need one as the park was very easy to navigate.
While many of us would opt to see animals in the wild over a zoo any day, the zoo does allow one to see the creatures up close. And I mean up close. I couldn't have been more than five feet away from those lions. While most big cat enclosures I've seen in other zoos have the cats waaaay down below, the cages at this zoo were either raised to waist level (as was the case with the lions) or on the same level as the visitors as was the case with the jaguar, jaguarundis, ocelots, margay etc. The only impediment to getting a good photo was the mesh of the cage itself.
The coati and capuchin enclosures were designed in such as way as to provide a 360 degree view of the creatures: both were large but shallow, roughly circular pits dug into the ground with wooden platforms and beams in the middle built high up at waist level again.
Mental states aside, all the animals I saw that day seemed healthy physically. And there were a lot of them. I jotted down 29 on my list.
All the enclosures were clean and appeared well-kept even if the cat cages were small.
As for the Simon Bolivar Zoo, I spent a few hours there one day and would go again. Having said that, there are definitely some pros and a con.
The Con: Vgirl, you heard right. When I was there in October 2008, there were two adult lions (a male and a female, Kivu and Kariya) in what I believed to be a very small cage even for one cat. And the male paced on a little ledge at the back of the cage for a while before lying down (with his back to me, of course) for a rest.
There were also ocelots and a margay in equally small cages and the male ocelot paced, while the margay in the adjacent cage slept. There was a creature called a "tayra" which looked like a giant, giant (second "giant" intentional) river otter slash wolverine that paced his cage and then would get up on his hind legs and look up over his fence past me at some unknown point behind me and he did this the entire time I stood watching him.
There were at least two jaguarundis in a cage next to the jaguar but they were far too skittish and remained in the shed at the back of their enclosure. The jaguar had the largest cage of all the cats but again he, too, paced in circles from the back of his cage to the front and then across in a diagonal line and back again. He broke his gait once when he reacted - negatively - to a small boy who had moved the bushes in front of the cage just as he was walking past.
The pros:
I had read somewhere that there were many improvements slated for the zoo and I saw signs of these plans (a section or two were closed for renovations) when I visited. The zoo sits on 14 acres but it felt much smaller than that although I don't doubt some of that space is for the administrative offices and other such facilities in the back; perhaps after renovations cages will be bigger and the park will feel more spread out.
I got there just as the zoo was opening and with the exception of probably no more than a dozen other people (all locals), had the place to myself. It was also a weekday. I got there early enough to see some of the creatures just "waking up" and stayed late enough to see some of them get fed.
It only cost me about $2 to get in.
The zoo was laid out in a rough horseshoe shaped pattern with enclosures radiating from the main path. There was no sign of a map although you won't need one as the park was very easy to navigate.
While many of us would opt to see animals in the wild over a zoo any day, the zoo does allow one to see the creatures up close. And I mean up close. I couldn't have been more than five feet away from those lions. While most big cat enclosures I've seen in other zoos have the cats waaaay down below, the cages at this zoo were either raised to waist level (as was the case with the lions) or on the same level as the visitors as was the case with the jaguar, jaguarundis, ocelots, margay etc. The only impediment to getting a good photo was the mesh of the cage itself.
The coati and capuchin enclosures were designed in such as way as to provide a 360 degree view of the creatures: both were large but shallow, roughly circular pits dug into the ground with wooden platforms and beams in the middle built high up at waist level again.
Mental states aside, all the animals I saw that day seemed healthy physically. And there were a lot of them. I jotted down 29 on my list.
All the enclosures were clean and appeared well-kept even if the cat cages were small.
Jun 15th, 2009, 10:19 AM
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Zoo Avenue is a much, much larger zoo: 59 hectares. Ambience-wise, I would say that strolling through the Simon Bolivar Zoo was like strolling through someone's private garden, quite lush with dense pockets of vegetation. Strolling through Zoo Avenue is like strolling through a zoo that's used to seeing more traffic with wider paths and room for crowds. Zoo Avenue is also lush but feels less so because it's bigger. There's a patch of giant bamboo that stretches way up to two or three stories (or more) along the main path that just dwarfs anything standing in front of it.
Where to begin...
Okay, Simon Bolivar Zoo is walking distance from the Hotel Don Carlos, which in turn is walking distance from the Avenida Central downtown. Zoo Avenue is in Alajuela so you would need a car or bus to get to it if you're not staying across the street.
It cost me $10 to get in and that was only because I bought my ticket at my hotel across the street (Martinos Hotel & Spa); otherwise it would have cost $15.
The cage mesh was again the main impediment to getting good pictures.
I think that's about it for the "cons".
The pros:
The zoo is spacious and also very well laid out. If you have the time, get there right when it opens to have the zoo to yourself. Do a full circuit once and just look the animals to your left, and then do another full circuit and just look at the animals to your right. Then another full circuit to zigzag as you wish. ;-)
There were pumas but no other big cats (at least when I was there last).
No animal paced in their enclosures.
All enclosures were fairly large, very clean and the animals appeared healthy.
There were a lot of birds and although they weren't up and about yet when I was there, the are quetzals at this zoo. Along with scarlet, blue and gold, and hybrid macaws that flew free inside. Peacocks strolled the grounds freely. This zoo is known for their highly successful bird breeding program.
I don't remember seeing the capuchin or the howler, but they had the spider and the squirrel monkeys in large, roomy enclosures. The tufted marmosets will take up ample room on any memory card.
The American crocodile sunned itself while I stood about two feet away from it - yet another example of how much closer physically you can get to creatures in CR even though you're within the confines of a zoo.
I'm still learning how to properly use my camera but for those of you who know what to do, bring lens to zoom and filter out bright sunlight as the birds and the monkeys tend to hang out in the trees; it may have just been the way the zoo is laid out but it was a challenge getting good shots of any creature that wasn't sitting at eye level.
Where to begin...
Okay, Simon Bolivar Zoo is walking distance from the Hotel Don Carlos, which in turn is walking distance from the Avenida Central downtown. Zoo Avenue is in Alajuela so you would need a car or bus to get to it if you're not staying across the street.
It cost me $10 to get in and that was only because I bought my ticket at my hotel across the street (Martinos Hotel & Spa); otherwise it would have cost $15.
The cage mesh was again the main impediment to getting good pictures.
I think that's about it for the "cons".
The pros:
The zoo is spacious and also very well laid out. If you have the time, get there right when it opens to have the zoo to yourself. Do a full circuit once and just look the animals to your left, and then do another full circuit and just look at the animals to your right. Then another full circuit to zigzag as you wish. ;-)
There were pumas but no other big cats (at least when I was there last).
No animal paced in their enclosures.
All enclosures were fairly large, very clean and the animals appeared healthy.
There were a lot of birds and although they weren't up and about yet when I was there, the are quetzals at this zoo. Along with scarlet, blue and gold, and hybrid macaws that flew free inside. Peacocks strolled the grounds freely. This zoo is known for their highly successful bird breeding program.
I don't remember seeing the capuchin or the howler, but they had the spider and the squirrel monkeys in large, roomy enclosures. The tufted marmosets will take up ample room on any memory card.
The American crocodile sunned itself while I stood about two feet away from it - yet another example of how much closer physically you can get to creatures in CR even though you're within the confines of a zoo.
I'm still learning how to properly use my camera but for those of you who know what to do, bring lens to zoom and filter out bright sunlight as the birds and the monkeys tend to hang out in the trees; it may have just been the way the zoo is laid out but it was a challenge getting good shots of any creature that wasn't sitting at eye level.
Jun 15th, 2009, 06:37 PM
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Thanks for the excellent zoo rundowns, Eressea. Sounds like both are decent options although like VG, I'm not so fond of small animal enclosures.
Zoo Ave has always piqued my interest, but I suspect we'll probably just wander around in the city; hit a museum or 2, do a little shopping and eating... There are worse ways to spend an afternoon!
Zoo Ave has always piqued my interest, but I suspect we'll probably just wander around in the city; hit a museum or 2, do a little shopping and eating... There are worse ways to spend an afternoon!
Jun 15th, 2009, 07:39 PM
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Sure thing, cmerrell. And I'm with you and vgirl on the small enclosure issue; it's actually the main reason I've decided to wait until that situation is addressed before going back to SBZ.
If you're wandering in the middle of downtown SJ, Cafe 1930 (or 1830) in the patio of the Gran Hotel is a good place to eat: delicious food, reasonable prices, attentive staff and a great place to sit and people-watch. The National Theater is across the plaza and I walked in after lunch to just get a look at the place although I wasn't able to get in to see the theater proper as there was a performance set to start in a few minutes.
A little farther up the Avenida Central at the intersection with Calle 2 is a 24 hour restaurant called Manolo's: huge menu, good prices and they sell churros stuffed with chocolate or dulce de leche. I've dined at both Cafe 1930 and Manolo's and prefer the food at the former but the dessert at the latter.
If you're wandering in the middle of downtown SJ, Cafe 1930 (or 1830) in the patio of the Gran Hotel is a good place to eat: delicious food, reasonable prices, attentive staff and a great place to sit and people-watch. The National Theater is across the plaza and I walked in after lunch to just get a look at the place although I wasn't able to get in to see the theater proper as there was a performance set to start in a few minutes.
A little farther up the Avenida Central at the intersection with Calle 2 is a 24 hour restaurant called Manolo's: huge menu, good prices and they sell churros stuffed with chocolate or dulce de leche. I've dined at both Cafe 1930 and Manolo's and prefer the food at the former but the dessert at the latter.
Jun 15th, 2009, 08:03 PM
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Thanks for the restaurant suggestions, Eressea! I always like to have some good word-of-mouth recs.
Regarding zoos, I used to live near San Diego and was a frequent visitor to the world-famous one there. It's hard not to be a little bit spoiled after that! ;-) I'm not opposed to smaller, simpler zoos mind you (that's all I have now that I live in Florida), but it is nice to be close to an operation like San Diego where conservation and education is such a focus. Even they still have some smaller 'legacy' enclosures that continue to house animals, but as they gradually phase those out, they're replaced with truly impressive habitats. It's kind of the next best thing to seeing animals in the wild. Speaking of which, I'll be on the Osa Peninsula in 12 days and hope to be surrounded by troops of monkeys; no enclosures or fences anywhere in sight!
Regarding zoos, I used to live near San Diego and was a frequent visitor to the world-famous one there. It's hard not to be a little bit spoiled after that! ;-) I'm not opposed to smaller, simpler zoos mind you (that's all I have now that I live in Florida), but it is nice to be close to an operation like San Diego where conservation and education is such a focus. Even they still have some smaller 'legacy' enclosures that continue to house animals, but as they gradually phase those out, they're replaced with truly impressive habitats. It's kind of the next best thing to seeing animals in the wild. Speaking of which, I'll be on the Osa Peninsula in 12 days and hope to be surrounded by troops of monkeys; no enclosures or fences anywhere in sight!
Jun 16th, 2009, 02:01 PM
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Oooh - THE San Diego Zoo - I've not been but I've always wanted to go. I can understand how you'd be a little bit spoiled after visiting such a zoo. Hmmm, since I don't think I'll be able to return to CR this year, you've given me an idea...;-)
12 days to CR! I can't wait to read everyone's trip reports for June/July.
12 days to CR! I can't wait to read everyone's trip reports for June/July.
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